The Problem with Elitism

[GarfieldtheCat]

I'd go to the good old boy because the elitist would probably decide that since I am conservative I am not worth saving and would likely rig it so it looked like I died of natural causes because he's so angry about Sarah Palin and GWB. The elitist would probably also decide I'm incapable of making my own healthcare decisions so he'd probably pass a comprehensive healthcare reform bill that would force me to buy substandard coverage with fewer choices and rationed care. The elitist would then allow him and his friends to keep their gold plated super-plan they have and he would let the commoners to fight for whatever's leftover.

Wow, did you stop taking your meds again? Of course, you are trolling, so maybe you didn't.

But either way, you are a total idiot if you actually believe what you posted.

 

[Kadarin]

Well, we could always just elect fucking idiots like Palin, Angle, and O'Donnell. That'll do wonders for the country...

 

[Fear No Evil]

IOW...I can't answer the question without being show once again to be a hypocrite, because I would certainly pick the "elitist" to make sure I survive. Therefore, I will post a big wall of text that says nothing, wave my hands about nothing, and bail until I start another thread by copy/pasting another persons thoughts, since I cannot think up any of these ideas on my own.

I think I got all the bases covered, thanks for not being able to defend your own thread. Way to go.

The question was stupid and biased. I don't think anyone who make a decision on a surgeon based solely on those criteria. What if the surgeon with the 10% mortality rate was offering a procedure that if successful resulted in a 90% better quality of life after the surgery? Is my condition terminal? What are the likelyhood of a full recovery with each surgeon? Will each surgeon take my insurance? There are a thousand more questions I would be asking.

 

[zinfamous]

Or how about this. The shit hits the fan, full on zombie apocalypse. Are you going to run to the surgeon's house who, because of his elitism doesn't believe anyone other than the military and police should own guns. Or are you going to run to the good old boy NASCAR lovers house who believes that the right to bare arms is a god given right. Who do YOU go to? I'm betting the good ole boy.

Isn't this fun!? Or how about this.. he would go to whatever Doctor Obamacare assigned him, regardless of his preference for the better Doctor because Obama knows whats best for him.

It is kind of elitist of you to assume the only doctor who could be extremely successful would be a harvard blue-blood though... kind of proving PJ's point about elitists.

Actually, I tend to avoid the people that stockpile guns b/c they fear zombie apocolypse.

These people are delusional, paranoid, and a possible threat to public safety; just like anyone who lives their life in fear based off of fairy tales and other supernatural imaginings.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Actually, I tend to avoid the people that stockpile guns b/c they fear zombie apocolypse.

These people are delusional, paranoid, and a possible threat to public safety; just like anyone who lives their life in fear based off of fairy tales and other supernatural imaginings.

But if they WERE right.. and there WAS a zombie apocalypse.. who's house would you run to? WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER!? (Yes, I'm being absurd like the question posed to the OP).

 

[Bateluer]

These are good videos OP, subscribed to Whittle's Youtube channel.

 

[UberNeuman]

But if they WERE right.. and there WAS a zombie apocalypse.. who's house would you run to? WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER!? (Yes, I'm being absurd like the question posed to the OP).

If you were a hot dog - and if you were hungry - would you eat yourself?

 

[DominionSeraph]

We will see what the rest of the country thinks on November 2 and again in 2012.

"Thinking" would be overstating the case. When the perception is the situation is bad, humans are driven to do something, regardless of whether that something actually does anything. Why do you think there's such thing as superstition? It's because it gives the illusion of control.

In '08, we were in two wars with no exit strategy, so people voted for "change." If they had voted for McCain instead, would things be materially different? No. Iraq and Afghanistan wouldn't have become models of religious tolerance and civic responsibility overnight, the banking industry wouldn't have avoided having its gambling addiction come home to roost, and the oil gushing into the gulf wouldn't have decided to alter the laws of physics it was operating under so as to avoid tarnishing McCain's image.
The universe doesn't care who's in power. It keeps ticking along regardless. Change may alter something slightly ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred years down the line, but almost never immediately.

Voting is just another opiate of the masses.

 

[OrByte]

Come on OP, seriously...be straight with us for once.


You get paid to spam up forum boards with this bullshit huh?

 

[PJABBER]

Come on OP, seriously...be straight with us for once.


You get paid to spam up forum boards with this bullshit huh?

I get paid in satisfaction points each time I see a "progressive" melt down.

These days my till runneth over.

:awe:

 

[PJABBER]

"Thinking" would be overstating the case. When the perception is the situation is bad, humans are driven to do something, regardless of whether that something actually does anything. Why do you think there's such thing as superstition? It's because it gives the illusion of control.

In '08, we were in two wars with no exit strategy, so people voted for "change." If they had voted for McCain instead, would things be materially different? No. Iraq and Afghanistan wouldn't have become models of religious tolerance and civic responsibility overnight, the banking industry wouldn't have avoided having its gambling addiction come home to roost, and the oil gushing into the gulf wouldn't have decided to alter the laws of physics it was operating under so as to avoid tarnishing McCain's image.
The universe doesn't care who's in power. It keeps ticking along regardless. Change may alter something slightly ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred years down the line, but almost never immediately.

Voting is just another opiate of the masses.

I guess we should be glad that voting is beneath you.

 

[UberNeuman]

The Problem with Elitism is that I can no longer extend my pinky while sipping my beer...

 

[PJABBER]

The Problem with Elitism is that I can no longer extend my pinky while sipping my beer...

You have overcome, others require mechanical assistance.

 

[UberNeuman]

You have overcome, others require mechanical assistance.

lol... nice one....

 

[OrByte]

You have overcome, others require mechanical assistance.

holy crap. Now that is funny!!

 

[Bowfinger]

I get paid in satisfaction points each time I see a "progressive" melt down.

These days my till runneth over.

:awe:

I.e., you're trolling.

 

[shira]

There is an essential implication that elites have an overwhelming advantage of intelligence, training, insight and, well, whatever it is that makes them better than everyone else at the role of governance.

If being "elite" is so obviously a problem, how come you keep name-dropping all the bottles of elite alcohol you drink? Are you trying to impress us with your elite knowledge of booze?

Also, can it really be the case that you believe that how the electorate votes this November or in 2012 is somehow an indicator of the actual quality of those elected? If the majority in a small southern town forms a lynch mob and strings up a black man, does that mean the mob was correct? Are you really that obtuse?

 

[PJABBER]

If being "elite" is so obviously a problem, how come you keep name-dropping all the bottles of elite alcohol you drink? Are you trying to impress us with your elite knowledge of booze?

Also, can it really be the case that you believe that how the electorate votes this November or in 2012 is somehow an indicator of the actual quality of those elected? If the majority in a small southern town forms a lynch mob and strings up a black man, does that mean the mob was correct? Are you really that obtuse?

I am sure of the specific qualities of someone who is truly elite, elite meaning talented and accomplished above most others in my book.

I am also sure that being elite as such does not imply that such quality extends into all aspects of personal competence.

Using your own example, does winning a political race mean that someone is competent to actually manage and govern? Obama's ability to govern at the Presidential level was inferred erroneously from his ability to win elections (most of which, however, were won by default when his opponents withdrew from contention because of personal issues, issues that Obama exploited by having them disqualified.) How wrong that has proven.

No one here, other than you, has claimed that voters are the same as a lynch mob. The electorate might be agitated this year, but the only real violence has come from the left and they tend to seek victory other than through legitimate election anyway.

As to my taste in libations, coffee more than any form of alcohol, it is an acquired one. And I have as much appreciation for the cheap stuff as the most expensive - it is all good. I guess that makes me something other than "elitist." You might consider using the word "gourmand."

While you may concentrate your vexation on irrelevancies, that which actually makes me "elite" escapes you. Entirely.

:awe:

 

[DominionSeraph]

Anyway, to actually address the 'elitism' angle: I see the conservative usage as being an outgrowth of the American consumer expecting that everything will pander to them. We expect our foods to be precisely tailored to our tastes, our chairs to be precisely tailored to our asses; if we let our arm drop when taking a cup from our lips in our car, we expect a cupholder to be right where it naturally falls. Anything and everything that would cause us to go even an inch out of our way we expect someone to do something to remove it.
BOTH sides expect their beliefs to be pandered to. It's just with conservatives, when it doesn't happen, it tends to be because the person refusing to move is doing so based on the results of a better education, so the person is using, "knowledge of reality trumps blind faith;" which the Fundie can't honestly argue with even though he doesn't emotionally like that it is true. When a liberal isn't being pandered to it's because he's up against a Fundie using blind faith, and the Fundie is using, "My blind faith trumps ur fancy edumacation 'cause that's what Pappy told me;" which the liberal knows isn't true.

Thus we get, "Liberals are elite and conservatives are stupid."

 

[PJABBER]

Lah dee da!

Do you ever actually read the OP?

Watch the linked video in this case?

 

[DominionSeraph]

Watch the linked video in this case?

Did you click the banner ad at the top of the page?

Welcome to Antec.com
Our products vary for local markets and we want to give you the best information possible.
So please select a Zone and Language below to write a Cookie on your computer indicating your preference.

Shall I debate whether Antec's products actually vary for local markets and informally calculate the probability that they'd want to give me the best information possible; and ponder the possible ramifications of selecting a zone and language and question whether I want my preference saved in a cookie?

If you have something to say, say it. I don't give a rat's ass about a link.

 

[PJABBER]

Did you click the banner ad at the top of the page?

Shall I debate whether Antec's products actually vary for local markets and informally calculate the probability that they'd want to give me the best information possible; and ponder the possible ramifications of selecting a zone and language and question whether I want my preference saved in a cookie?

If you have something to say, say it. I don't give a rat's ass about a link.

I am suggesting that you take the time to read the OP (the original, or first post of the thread) to have an understanding of the topic of the thread discussion.

This thread's OP has a link to a video that you really should view to understand the point being made. It is integral to the topic presentation.

Linking to a video in an OP is bit unusual for me, I usually like to reference published articles as reading them is much faster for me than sitting through a video. However, I really liked the professionalism of the presentation and thought it would be a nice change of pace. You can listen to the video over a cup of coffee.

This forum used to have a rule that OPs had to reference an article or a news story and they had to include the poster's personal commentary. This no longer seems to be the case, but I find it much more interesting to have both in offering up a topic for discussion.

 

[BeauJangles]

Do we choose an "elite" aristocracy, much like that of the days when the divine right of kings prevailed, and just as onerous, or do we choose a more common man or woman who just happens to believe in the rights of free men and women to determine their own destiny unfettered by the millstone of imposed elitist ideas of what is best for them?

The Problem with Elitism

Why aren't we talking about the war that is going on against experts, intellectuals, and qualified authorities in their fields? It is coming up more and more often in nearly every debate we have. The experts have an opinion and the "common man" thinks it's wrong and that the experts are lying to them.

 

[shira]

I am sure of the specific qualities of someone who is truly elite, elite meaning talented and accomplished above most others in my book.

I am also sure that being elite as such does not imply that such quality extends into all aspects of personal competence.

Using your own example, does winning a political race mean that someone is competent to actually manage and govern? Obama's ability to govern at the Presidential level was inferred erroneously from his ability to win elections (most of which, however, were won by default when his opponents withdrew from contention because of personal issues, issues that Obama exploited by having them disqualified.) How wrong that has proven.

No one here, other than you, has claimed that voters are the same as a lynch mob. The electorate might be agitated this year, but the only real violence has come from the left and they tend to seek victory other than through legitimate election anyway.

As to my taste in libations, coffee more than any form of alcohol, it is an acquired one. And I have as much appreciation for the cheap stuff as the most expensive - it is all good. I guess that makes me something other than "elitist." You might consider using the word "gourmand."

While you may concentrate your vexation on irrelevancies, that which actually makes me "elite" escapes you. Entirely.

:awe:

As usual, you evade questions you can't answer. As usual, you distort beyond recognition points made against you and then argue against those distortions. So you insist that an analogy is a literal statement.

But let me shred your argument once and for all.

Your wrote:

My concern, and that of the nation, is who is going to drag this country up from the economic malaise it is in. Who will get government out of the way so that private enterprise will do what it does best.

We will see what the rest of the country thinks on November 2 and again in 2012.

You clearly think that what the "rest of the country thinks" during the next two federal elections has some relevance to "Who is going to drag this country up from the economic malaise it is in. Who will get government out of the way so that private enterprise will do what it does best."

Yet that same electorate that you place so much faith in in November and in 2012 elected Obama and put large majorities of Democrats in place in the House and Senate. Using your very own criterion, that majority of voters in 2008 MUST have known what they were doing and elected the right people to office. You couldn't possibly be double-talking your faith in the electorate, could you?

The vote in the coming elections will tell us one thing, and one thing only: People don't like the economy, and they (misguidedly) blame the party in office.

Now, tell us again why you keep dropping the names of those oh-so-impressive bottles of alcohol?

 

[theeedude]

Obama started from nothing and made it to POTUS. If that makes some insecure idiots who couldn't make it themselves call him an elitist, so be it.